PREMIER FIRSTS
A decisive fourth inning proved the difference on Saturday with Bonbeach pulling away for a 10-0 win over Pakenham. For much of the early contest, the Pumas worked hard to keep the game within reach. However, Bonbeach broke things open in the bottom of the fourth, stringing together timely hitting to produce six runs and seize control of the match. The rally featured a series of well-placed singles and a productive fielder’s choice that kept the scoreboard ticking over. Hiroke Goke took the ball to start for Pakenham and battled through four innings, allowing six hits and six runs (four earned) while striking out one and walking one. Despite the tough stretch in the fourth, the right-hander showed composure on the mound. Offensively, the Pumas managed to generate opportunities, with Danny Cannizzaro, Rohan Hector, John Bicos, and Jesse Hunter each collecting a hit on the day. Despite the loss the team will begin the post season this Thursday night against top-side Mulgrave
PREMIER RESERVES
Pakenham Pumas signed off their summer campaign in style on Saturday, powering past Bonbeach 12-7 in a back-and-forth contest. The visitors wasted no time, jumping on the board in the top of the first. Rohan Hector sparked the rally with a single to the left side, followed by Deklan White’s base hit to the right. Oliver’s sacrifice fly and a clutch single down the right field line from Brock saw four runs cross for the Pumas. Bonbeach then levelled the scores in a lively opening frame. The arm wrestle continued; Cooper Porter’s productive line-out pushed Pakenham back in front, only for Bonbeach to answer again to edge ahead 6-5. Pumas regained control in the third. Tristan delivered a timely single to centre, and Ethan Hamilton’s sacrifice fly brought home another to restore the lead. From there, Pakenham found another gear. A five-run fourth inning broke the game open, highlighted by Deklan White’s run-scoring double and a fielder’s choice off the bat of Brock that brought three runners home. Rohan Hector started on the mound, working three innings while allowing five hits and six runs (five earned), striking out four. Rhys McKenzie provided valuable relief to help shut the door. The Pumas bats were busy all afternoon, collecting 10 hits. Oliver, White and Hector each finished with two hits, while Brock, White and Hector drove in two runs apiece.
On the bases, Pakenham were electric, swiping an impressive 12 stolen bases. Will, Oliver, Tristan and Hector all nabbed multiple steals. Although the season ends just shy of finals action, the Pumas Reserves can take plenty of positives from a determined final performance.
STATE 3
Pumas State 3 showed plenty of grit on Sunday, mounting a spirited mid-game rally before eventually going down 17-7 to a sharp Mornington B1 outfit. Mornington struck first in the opening inning with a run-scoring single, then quickly built momentum. The visitors produced a big seven-run second inning to create early scoreboard pressure, then followed it up with another seven-run burst in the third. To their credit, Pakenham refused to go quietly. The home side responded with a six-run surge in the bottom of the third that brought the dugout – and the crowd – to life. Harvey got things rolling with an RBI single before Jesus Camacho delivered the biggest blow of the day, launching a ringing double that drove in three runs. Daniel Wells and Connor Mills-Emmerson followed with run-scoring singles to cap an impressive offensive push. Mathew Howden took the start for the Pumas, working one and two-thirds innings while striking out three. Camacho and Wells each finished with two RBIs to lead the offence, while Nicholas Barth showed strong plate discipline with two walks. As a team, Pakenham demonstrated patience at the dish, drawing six walks for the game.
STATE 4
There was plenty of action – and possibly a little extra caffeine in the system – as Pakenham Pumas State 4 powered their way to an entertaining 8-5 victory over Waverley on Sunday. Waverley came out of the blocks quickly, plating two runs in the top of the first, and another in the second. The game turned on its head in the bottom of the third when the Pumas bats suddenly woke up – possibly at the exact moment Scott’s pre-workout kicked in somewhere in the dugout. Pakenham piled on five runs from five hits in a lively inning that had the home crowd buzzing. The big moment came courtesy of Gregg McCormick, who laced a clutch double to drive in three and swing the momentum firmly the Pumas’ way. On the mound, Andrew Hemmes put in a gritty shift, working five innings while allowing six hits and five runs (four earned). The right-hander struck out eight and walked five, keeping Waverley within sight but never quite back in control. Offensively, the Pumas racked up nine hits for the afternoon. McCormick and Dylan Eldridge led the charge with two hits apiece, with McCormick finishing 2-for-3 and topping the RBI column with three. In the end, the Pumas had just a little too much firepower; and possibly just a little too much pre-workout energy!
WOMENS WHITE
Pumas Women’s White wrapped up their summer campaign on Saturday, falling 21-0 to a polished Upwey Gold. Despite the tough scoreboard, the Pumas showed trademark determination and team spirit throughout the contest. Upwey Gold came out firing in the bottom of the first inning, stringing together a series of timely hits and disciplined at-bats to build an early advantage. Morgan took the ball first for the Pumas and worked hard in the circle against a confident Upwey lineup, finishing with one strikeout while battling through a challenging opening stint. To their credit, the Women’s White bats kept competing. Christine Sculley, Karlee Brady, Amelia, Liberty and Malissa Wirski each recorded a hit, providing bright moments for the home side. While the result means the Pumas narrowly miss out on finals action, the group can hold their heads high after a season that showcased resilience, growth and strong club spirit.
WOMENS PINK
There was no shortage of action at Toomuc Reserve on Saturday, with Pumas Women’s Pink and Cheltenham Blue serving up an offensive rollercoaster before the visitors eventually claimed a 16-10 victory in extra time. Cheltenham struck first with a two-run single in the opening inning, but the Pumas responded in style. Women’s Pink erupted for six runs in the bottom of the first – remarkably without recording a hit – using patience at the plate and smart base running to flip the scoreboard to 6-2. Mars Byrne’s bases-loaded walk was the key moment, bringing home two. The momentum swings kept coming. Cheltenham answered with a six-run second inning to reclaim the lead, only for the Pumas to fight back again. An RBI single from Mars Byrne and a passed ball tied things up, before Jessica Moulding and Renae Gillett delivered in the third to push Pakenham back in front. The game eventually spilled into extra time following some late confusion; a twist that ultimately hurt the Pumas’ dream of closing the season with a win. Despite the loss, Women’s Pink produced plenty of positives. Johanna Blackler led the way at the plate, going 2-for-3, while Jessica Moulding drove in two runs from the middle of the order. The Pumas showed excellent plate discipline, drawing nine walks, with Renae Gillett and Kamila Van Weeghel earning two apiece. On the bases, the home side was electric, swiping an impressive 12 stolen bases. Gillett, Amelia, Moulding and Byrne each recorded multiple steals in an aggressive display. Amelia started in the circle, with Moulding providing relief and striking out five in a determined effort. While the result means Women’s Pink narrowly miss out on finals action, the side can take pride in a season that showcased resilience, fight and plenty of attacking flair.
WOMENS BLACK
Pakenham Women’s Black has stamped itself as the team to beat heading into finals, finishing their outstanding home-and-away campaign with a commanding 22-0 victory over Chelsea on Saturday. In a season defined by consistency, depth and relentless pressure, the Pumas once again showcased why they’ve earned top spot on the ladder. Women’s Black opened the scoring in the first inning through a combination of smart situational hitting and aggressive base running. Olivia Garcia’s single to centre sparked the rally, with Katherine Walton and Kirby Cannizzaro helping manufacture runs before an opposition error capped the four-run opening. They extended the lead in the second, highlighted by Walton’s RBI single and another burst of pressure that forced errors and brought runners home. By the third inning, the floodgates had well and truly opened. Seven runs crossed the plate on four hits, with Garcia driving in two and Emily Devine adding another as the home side blew the game wide open. Another seven-run fourth inning put the finishing touches on a clinical performance, with Walton’s three-run single the standout blow in a relentless offensive display. In the circle, the Pumas were just as dominant. Emily Devine was superb in the start, firing three hitless innings while striking out nine without issuing a walk. Emily Williams backed it up in relief with a scoreless frame, striking out three to complete the shutout.
Offensively, Women’s Black piled up 12 hits. Walton led the charge with five RBIs, while Garcia, Devine, Walton and Carni Dowsett each collected two hits. Holly Lunn showed excellent plate discipline with three walks as the Pumas worked an impressive 13 free passes for the game. Pakenham Pumas Women’s Black now turn their focus to finals next week and, on current form, they’ll carry plenty of momentum and confidence into the business end of the year.
SL80
Pakenham Pumas SL80 delivered a dominant performance on Sunday, defeating Blackburn White 17–1 at Blackburn. The Pumas struck early, with Ollie singling to centre and Angus driving in a run in the first inning. The lead continued to grow through the middle innings with key doubles from Angus, Liam and Timmy, plus strong run production from Huddy and Hunter. The fourth and fifth innings sealed the result, with the Pumas piling on 10 runs across the two frames. Timmy and Liam both doubled in big moments, while Angus finished off another strong offensive display. Timmy set the tone on the mound, allowing just two hits and one run over three and two-third innings while striking out eight. Ollie closed it out with one and one-third innings of shutout relief.
The offense produced 15 hits, led by Angus (4 RBIs), Liam (3 hits) and Timmy (3 hits). The team showed great discipline at the plate with 11 walks, stole 15 bases, and were flawless in the field with no errors recorded. A strong regular season now leads into a home semi-final at Pakenham.
SL70
Pakenham Pumas SL70 powered past Upwey FTG 16–7 on Sunday in an exciting contest highlighted by an outstanding all-round team performance and a huge day on the bases. Upwey FTG struck first, but the Pumas responded immediately, flipping the game on its head with five runs. The biggest blow came from Amelia, who ripped a triple to drive in two. The Pumas continued to apply pressure in the second inning. A dropped third strike allowed two runs to score, Cooper drew a bases-loaded walk, and an aggressive steal of home added another run to stretch the lead. The third inning brought more damage, with Amelia singling to score two, another steal of home crossing a run, and Max drawing a walk to force in another. Amelia delivered a standout performance at the plate, tripling in the first to score two, singling in the third to bring home two more, and doubling in the fourth to add another RBI to her tally. On the mound, Eli started for the Pumas, throwing two innings and allowing five hits and three runs while striking out one. Noah was strong in relief, tossing three innings, giving up three hits and four runs (three earned), striking out five and walking four. Eli also contributed offensively with two hits from four at-bats. The Pumas showed great patience at the plate, drawing 12 walks in total, with Morgan, Noah, and Cooper each collecting three. The team swiped an incredible 23 bases. Amelia, Morgan, Max, Noah, Cooper, and Eli each stole multiple bases as the Pumas ran riot on the basepaths.
LL MAJOR
Pakenham wrapped up the season with a hard-fought game against Frankston, going down 15–8 in our final outing. A huge highlight was Bryce’s cracking hit to centre field, bringing Phoenix and Marshall home before using smart base running to score himself. Hudson also sent a beautiful fly ball out to right field and capitalised with great awareness and determination. The base running across the board was outstanding. The kids were aggressive, switched on and constantly putting Frankston under pressure. A fantastic way to finish the season and a great reflection of how far they’ve come.
A HUGE thank you to Coach Ethan and Coach Jason for their expertise this year, to all the parents who come each week to support the kids and especially to all the kids! It’s been a pleasure to watch them grow with skill and confidence each week.
-Jessica Moulding-
